Finn Allen batting for the Black Caps against Pakistan. Photo: photosport
Black Caps opener Finn Allen has broken the world record for most sixes in the T20 innings, smashing 19 to move past the mark held by West Indies blaster Chris Gayle.
Allen broke several records in his innings of 151 for his San Francisco Unicorns franchise against Washington Freedom in the opening match of the US Major League Cricket championship in Oakland, California.
San Francisco won the match by 153 runs, built almost entirely around the remarkable 151 off 51 balls - at a strike rate of 296 - from right-handed power-hitter Allen.
The 26-year-old recorded the fastest 150 in T20 cricket, reaching that milestone in 49 balls.
The 34 balls taken to bring up his century was the fastest by a New Zealand player.
Allen's 19 sixes was one one more than Chris Gayle achieved when scoring 146 off 69 balls for the Rangpur Riders in Bangladesh Premier League final against Dhaka Dynamites in 2017.
"It was exciting," Allen said of his knock.
"Got off to a good start, found the boundaries regularly, we had a few partnerships and got a good score on the board. The boundaries are fairly decent."
Allen isn't contracted to New Zealand Cricket and is a proven performer in franchise cricket although he was unable to land a contract in this year's Indian Premier League.
He was selected for the Black Caps' T20 home series win over Pakistan in March, forming a lethal combination with fellow-opener Tim Seifert.
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